Gwynn's Island Festival Honors Jamestown

"Come Home to Mathews 2007" -- will commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown.

The weekend kicks off Friday evening with a chicken dinner at the Civic League building on Old Ferry Road. The dinner includes fried chicken, potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, ham biscuit and dessert. Take out begins at 4:30 p.m., with dinner 5-7 p.m. The cost is $8 for adults, $4 for children 10 and under. For information or tickets, call Art Dubey, 725-7941, or Sandy Mikulecky, 725-9536.

The festival will be 9 a.m.-3:45 p.m. Saturday on the Civic League grounds. Special events this year include the "Pearls of Mathews" exhibit from the 400th anniversary weekend and boatbuilding by the Mathews Maritime Foundation.

Angela L. "Silver Star" Daniel and Dr. Linwood "Little Bear" Custalow will sign their book, "The True Story of Pocahontas: The Other Side of History."

The Gwynn's Island Museum nearby will be open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Two original maps are on loan showing the area around the Chesapeake Bay around 1630 and 1747.

New this year is a life-sized tableau of Col. Hugh Gwynn and Pocahontas, illustrating the local legend that Gwynn saved the Indian princess's life and her father gave Gwynn the island out of gratitude.

The Virginia Archeological Society will have a tent set up outside the museum to display some artifacts of the area.

The festival, museum and maritime foundation are among the county icons designated "Mathews Pearls" in honor of the Jamestown commemoration.

Festival admission and parking are free. Proceeds from the festival benefit the league and museum. For information, call Cricket Call, 725-7577. *